Community Blood Drive

Please note: there is no deferral period following COVID vaccination.

All Donors will receive a special mask!

Instructions for Blood Drive being held tomorrow morning.
1. Donors are encouraged to register on DonorTime.com
2. All donors please use main entrance.
3. Donors will be screened prior to entering the hospital.
4. Lingle Hall will be accessed through elevators by Information Desk.
5. Please observe social distancing.

Reid Health Blood Drives now receive CCP. Read more about our COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Program.

FAQs

Why donate?

• Blood is needed every two seconds.
• About one in seven people entering a hospital needs blood.
• Blood is always needed for treatment of accident victims, cancer patients, hemophiliacs and surgery patients.
• Blood cannot be manufactured.
• Only 37 percent of our country's population is eligible to give blood, and less than 10 percent of those who can donate actually do donate annually.

How often can you donate?

RBC 8-12 weeks - allow iron storage to rebuild

Plasma 2-4 weeks

Platelets 1-2 weeks

The Medical Director of each blood donor center is responsible for setting policies regarding the frequency of donation. The policies set by a Medical Director can be more restrictive, permitting donation less frequently than permitted by AABB Standards and FDA regulations. Based on AABB and FDA requirements, you must wait 56 days between whole blood donations. Platelet (apheresis) donors may donate more frequently. This is because the body replenishes platelets and plasma more quickly than red cells. Platelets will return to normal levels within about 72 hours of donating. Plasma (the liquid portion of your blood) will return to normal levels within a couple of days.

Does donated blood stay on the shelf indefinitely until it is used?

No. Each unit of whole blood is separated into several components. Red blood cells may be stored under refrigeration for a maximum of 42 days, or frozen for up to 10 years. Platelets are stored at room temperature and may be kept for a maximum of five to seven days. Fresh frozen plasma is kept in a stored frozen state for up to one year. Cryoprecipitated AHF is stored frozen for up to one year. Granulocytes must be transfused within 24 hours of donation.

Other products manufactured from blood include albumin, immune globulin, specific immune globulins, and clotting factor concentrates. Commercial manufacturers commonly produce these blood products.

Are the history questions necessary every time I donate?

Yes, this ensures the safest possible blood supply, all donors must be asked all the screening questions at each donation. Both AABB and FDA regulations specifically require that all blood donors complete the donor history questionnaire on the day of donation and prior to donating.

What is the most common blood type?

The approximate distribution of blood types in the U.S. blood donor population is as follows. Distribution may be different for specific racial and ethnic groups and in different parts of the country:

O Rh-positive --- 39 percent
O Rh-negative --- 9 percent
A Rh-positive --- 30 percent
A Rh-negative --- 6 percent
B Rh-positive --- 9 percent
B Rh-negative --- 2 percent
AB Rh-positive --- 4 percent
AB Rh-negative --- 1 percent

In an emergency, anyone can receive type O red blood cells. Therefore, people with type O blood are known as "universal blood donors." In addition, individuals with AB type plasma are the universal plasma donors.

Is there such thing as artificial blood?

Scientists have yet to find a successful substitute for human blood. This is why blood donors are so vital to the lives of those who are in need of blood.

What fees are associated with blood?

There are significant costs associated with collecting, testing, preparing components, labeling, storing and shipping blood; recruiting and educating donors; and quality assurance. As a result, processing fees are charged to recover those costs. Processing fees for individual blood components vary. Hospitals also charge for any additional testing that may be required, such as the crossmatch, as well as for the administration of the blood.

Is there anything I should do before I donate?

Be sure to eat well at your regular mealtimes and drink plenty of fluids before and after donation.